The parking garage is located at grade level and is accessed from the Lee Avenue extension. The garage contains five-off-street parking spaces including a handicap accessible space and a car share space. The building will have 32 class 1 bicycle parking spaces for the residential space and four class 1 bicycle parking spaces for the commercial space. The remainder of the ground floor will provide supportive service and community space.

Neighbors were never especially happy about plans to build 71 units of affordable housing on a city-owned bus turnaround at Ocean and Phelan avenues, across the street from City College. But when they learned the apartment complex would have just five parking spaces – plus one car-share slot and a single handicapped space – the complaints poured in.

Comments from “Plugged-In” Readers

The plain and simple reason for the opposition is that the existing residents don’t want anyone else competing for their free subsidized street parking. But if their wish is granted, they’ll suffer with increased congestion.

I think the true reason is that the neighborhood doesn’t want the supportive housing and they are going to hang their hat on the lack of parking vs. being honest. This is on a busy corner with commercial spaces/City College on all sides as I recall. None of the ‘neighbors’ is likely to be parking on Ocean Avenue no matter what they claim.

The Chronicle article has dozens of comments, the large majority of which are pro parking, anti “transit first” which turns out to be a vote into the charter of 25 years ago. This can be overturned by a new vote, suggested by one commenter. Easy to win, since tenants, owners and landlords have common cause. The only people against parking are the extreme left-wing, and they already have cars.

Parking is not free in this area. It is all permit parking. which has to be paid for yearly. Come over to this area right now and see just how congested it is. Good luck finding a place to park within a mile in any direction.

I don’t want low income housing to come to the neighborhood. Geneva Towers is finally gone and it ruined the surrounding neighborhoods. To bring back low-income housing is repeating bad history for a neighborhood we are trying so hard to revitalize. What low-income people are going to be able to afford Whole Foods grocery? Whole Foods will be the first real commodity for this neighborhood, but if we keep sending people to this neighborhood who can’t afford it, Whole Foods will disappeat and a chance for this neighborhood to be desirable will be gone. I’m sick of being embarassed of where I live. We have nothing here. Sure I want to save the small business, but what other businesses are attracting people to shop at these small businesses for them to thrive. C’mon give then neighborhood a chance and try to attract people who have money to spend. Maybe our property values will increase. And can everybody stop hanging their laundry in front of their house? Its disgusting! And as for parking stop putting cones and you rgarbage cans to save a spot,its not your parking spot. We need quality people in this neighborhood to be proud.